Monthly Archives: December 2010

Height to Weight Ratios of Elite Male Triathletes

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People often ask me what they should weigh to race their best.  I’ve never really had an exact answer to give, but the question got me thinking recently.  There are a lot of reasons to try to optimize your weight, and the off season is a good time to lose a few pounds in preparation for the upcoming season.  I’ve always found it much easier to lose weight when I don’t have to worry about staying fueled for my big workouts.  Why should you lose some weight?  Here are some of the best reasons:

1.Less weight means a higher VO2 max.  When you have less body mass, it’s easier for your body to transport oxygen to all your cells. 

2. Less weight also improves thermodynamic regulations, which means that your body can cool itself more efficiently in hot weather.

3. An old rule of thumbs says that you can improve your mile pace by 3-4 seconds per mile for every pound that you lose, so if you loose 10 pounds that means up to 30-40 seconds per mile (this is not a scientific rule, however, so don’t hold me to this one!).

So, what’s the best weight?  I’ve always heard that an ideal weight for runners is two pounds of body weight per inch of height, so I decided to do a little research to find the height to weight ratio of some top elite triathletes.  Here’s what I came up with:

Craig Alexander: 5’11”, 150 lbs.: 2.11 pounds per inch

Chris Lieto: 6’0″, 160 lbs.: 2.22 pounds per inch

Michael Lovato: 6’0″, 170 lbs: 2.36 pounds per inch

Andy Potts: 6’2″, 175 lbs.: 2.33 pounds per inch

Andreas Raelert: 6’0″, 159 lbs.: 2.20 pounds per inch

Michael Raelert: 6’2″, 163 lbs.: 2.20 pounds per inch

Matt Reed: 6’5″, 180 lbs.:  2.34 pounds per inch

Dave Scott: 6’0″, 162 lbs.: 2.25 pounds per inch

Average: 2.25125

So it appears pretty consistant that the height to weight ratio of the top male pros is about 2.25 pounds per inch of height.  Keep in mind that this is an informal survey and that I relied on information found on the internet, which is not guaranteed to be accurate, but I think it’s reasonably close.

So, now you can take a look at your own height to weight ratio and see if any improvements can be made!  Good luck!  And lest you think that I forgot all about women, check back next week and I’ll put together a list of some of the top female triathletes.

Happy Training!

Welcome to Ironworks Multisport!

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Hello, and welcome to Ironworks Multisport!  This is a new project that I’m beginning, the latest in a lifelong journey in endurance sports.  I’ve been training, racing, and competing in a wide variety of sports ever since I can remember, and over the years I’ve had the time, mostly during those long, solo bike rides, to develop my own personal philosophy of training.  The name Ironworks Multisports reflects that philosophy.  My father is a blacksmith and I’ve spent many hours in his shop helping him to create beautiful things at his forge, and to me the process of training is very similar.  You take raw material and through hard work, imagination, vision, knowledge, and artistry, you can shape it and mold it into something better, stronger, and more beautiful.  The work is hard in both instances, but the results, whether it be the creation of a piece of wrought iron or an Ironman athlete, are enormously satisfying.  Of course there are also great differences in what can be asked of a piece of iron and of a human body, and through the years of my own training I’ve learned the value of rest, recovery, patience, and consistancy.

I am currently training to resume my own racing career next year after prolonged time off from competition due to a torn rotator cuff.  I will be racing with the goal of qualifying for the 2011 70.3 World Championships, but I will also be coaching a select group of athletes.  I offer only one package, and due to the time I spend on each athlete’s training schedule I only work with a small number of athletes.  My coaching is all inclusive, without different tiers and different levels of contact allowed.  My coaching is also full access: I send you all your workouts, which I design individually for each athlete, and you can call me or email me with any questions you have.  It’s that simple, really.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ironheintz@gmail.com.  I always enjoy talking about training and helping people with their fitness and racing goals so don’t hesitate to get in touch!  Please keep checking back with this page too, I’ll be posting lots of workouts, recipes, training advice, and news from the world of Ironworks Multisport!  Thanks for reading; now wouldn’t you rather be training?  Turn your computer off and go for a run!